Darien man jailed for crash that killed Elgin siblings

A Darien truck driver who ran a red light in Huntley and killed a brother and sister was sentenced today to 180 days in jail and 30 months of probation but could be out of jail in less than two weeks.

Gustavo Gomez, 48, has been held in the Kane County Jail since Sept. 9, when a Kane County jury convicted him of reckless homicide stemming from the deaths of Rosalina Rodriguez, 58, and Sergio Espinosa, 52, both of Elgin.

The accident took place on the afternoon of Jan. 21, 2008, when authorities said Gomez was driving north on Illinois Highway 47 and he failed to stop at a red light just north of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. Gomez hit his brakes, but his semi crushed a Hyundai Elantra sedan being driven by Espinosa.

Espinosa his sister were returning home from their jobs at a Weber grill facility in Huntley. At the trial, Gomez's lawyers maintained that he had been distracted in the moments before the accident by someone who was driving recklessly near him. Prosecutors contended he was merely trying to beat the traffic signal.

At Wednesday's sentencing hearing, Rodriguez's four children all spoke about the impact their mother's death has had on the family.

"She was an important person, maybe not to the world, but to our family she was the world," Elsa Rodriguez said.

Kane County Assistant State's Atty. Steve Sims asked for a five-year sentence -- the maximum for reckless homicide -- but Gomez's attorney Ronald Belmonte urged Judge Timothy Sheldon to consider Gomez's life as a good worker, neighbor and family man.

Before handing down the sentence, the judge asked the Rodriguez family members to come before the bench. Sheldon told them that he was sorry and he understood their grief, and possibly, their anger, but that he had to consider Gomez's history.

The judge noted that Gomez had no criminal record and had worked to become a citizen.

As part of his sentence, Sheldon ordered Gomez to appear before any high school or victim-impact panel where he could to share his story. Sheldon said he would reserve 60 days of the sentence, and give Gomez credit for the 48 days he had served in the jail. Under that formula, Gomez could be freed in as little as 12 days.

Gomez lost his commercial driver's license as a result of his conviction.